Norwegian Wonders Aboard Queen Elizabeth 2 |
| Reviewed By: Fitzmaurice, Swanage on 29th Sep 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Cunard Cruises |
Times cruised before: 1-2 |
| Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth 2 |
Sailed:
June,
2008 |
| Destination: Norwegian Fjords |
Age: 26-35 |
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What a real shame it is that QE2 will be withdrawn from service this November. I consider myself privileged to have travelled aboard QE2, and this cruise was certainly one of the most spectacular and relaxing holiday experiences that I have had.
Booking the cruise directly with Cunard was simple, but it admittedly did take several follow up telephone calls to rectify some of the travelling arrangements, which was annoying, but eventually sorted out.
Embarkation was very well organised at Southampton, but the car parking arrangements were hit and miss (including the collection of our car after the cruise).
Once aboard, the staff were very friendly and helpful, in fact the service could not be faulted at all.
My cabin was very attractive and spacious (Caronia Stateroom), and very well laid out, with a huge amount of wardrobe space and one of the most attractive bathrooms I have seen. The room service/cleaning was impeccable. My towels were changed on an unbelievably regular basis - my cabin steward must have been hiding around the corner, ready to tidy my cabin each time I left it! On the occasions when he came to clean my cabin when I was still there, he was so polite and apologetic for disturbing me, I really do feel that the level of service was absolutely perfect.
Deck space aboard QE2 is far greater than on newer cruise ships. There is also a full promenade, something which can’t be found on newer ships which utilise this space for balconies. There are plenty of steamer chairs/sun loungers located outside, and if you wish to find a peaceful place to snooze or read, away from the pool and games areas, this is easily done.
The food in the Caronia Restaurant was superb. The menus were very well thought out, with very little repetition. The food on offer was well-balanced, with something for everyone. Overall, the whole eating experience was something to really rave about: the restaurant was attractive and never felt too crowded, even when busy. The waiting staff were very attentive and friendly, though the wine waiter/Sommelier could be regarded as being somewhat pushy and yet strangely inattentive.
On board facilities were, as expected very good, though with the itineraries, there wasn’t a lot of point trying to make use of things such as the Library, computer suite, gymnasium etc.
The various bars on board are very good. The Golden Lion Pub was a favourite of many passengers, though I much preferred the very relaxing Chart Room Bar. The attractive Crystal Bar was a quiet “cocktail” bar, which was so peaceful, there was the danger of falling asleep there! The Yacht Club was the disco venue, and was never too noisy. The predominantly Seventies music was just about right, especially for the clientele aboard. It was easy to find somewhere to sit and look out of a window or watch people dancing.
Despite the ship being full, it was easy to get away from people and find a private place to sit. Bar service was mainly excellent, with very attentive staff that easily remembered what you were drinking! The prices were no higher than British pub prices for the drinks. Table service was not always good, and it was easy to find yourself sitting at a table waiting to be served, though I guess that the bar staff are hard pressed. In fact, when talking to them it appears that they work some hellishly long hours, and most only seem to be getting a few hours rest, spread out during the day.
The shops were very good, with a range of goods. There were some excellent lectures/talks about the jewellery that was on offer, which was a very good way of selling these items, and were informative enough to be interesting to the layperson.
There is a “duty free” shop on QE2, which sells cut price tobacco/spirits. This shop is seemingly quite large in comparison with the other shops, which I found rather strange.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much male attire (I assume that it is assumed that only female passengers buy clothes). That said, from what I gather the clothes available were of a high standard, and about half the price of say a London high street.
One huge disappointment was the QE2 Shop. This sells QE2 and Cunard branded articles (clothes, souvenirs, etc.), which were, in the main, quite limited. Some real tat was available (very cheaply made key rings, T-shirts, etc.), but this was interspersed with some much higher-value goods, such as decanters and pottery items. It was sad that considering how this is QE2’s final year, there was little to celebrate/commemorate her years of service.
The destinations on this cruise were: Bergen, Geirangerfjord, Flam and Stavanger. All of these are quite unique, and if you haven’t visited Norway before, are an ideal introduction to this beautiful country. One important note – Book the shore excursions! You will get time ashore, but if you have had a morning tour, it gives you a much better perspective of the area that you are visiting. All of the shore excursions that we went on were superb. The guides were all very informative, and the tours took in all points of the area, including some areas where you would never expect to be shown on a guided tour. The commentaries were perfectly pitched, with not too much of an information overload, yet they still gave a brilliant insight into Norwegian culture and lifestyle.
The destinations were excellent: Bergen was the quietest city that I have ever been to, it had a really good atmosphere, but the prices (due to the exchange rate) were very prohibitive, as they were elsewhere in Norway.
Geirangerfjord was absolutely spectacular! Words cannot describe the place, you will simply have to see it for yourself.
Flam was very beautiful, much softer in contrast than Geirangerfjord.
Stavanger, as the main “industrial” oil capital of Norway was at first, a bit of a let down. However, once we started exploring after the tour, there are some really attractive and unusual backwaters, as well as some excellent shops (where the prices were strangely, less than expected).
This was altogether the best holiday that I have had. QE2 is a magnificent ship, and combine this with a trip to one of the most spectacularly beautiful parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and this was certainly a trip to remember.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Dining in the Caronia Restaurant - I could not fault any of the food (breakfast, lunch or dinner). There was enough choice on all of the menus. One day, the fayre sounded very "standard", with fish & chips, cottage pie, etc. on offer - I was concerned, and wasn't expecting this sort of dining experience... However, I ordered the cottage pie, and it was simply THE most delicious example I have ever tasted! It wasn't tarted up, just utterly wholesome, rich and tasty! | | Entertainment | n/a |
| | Shore Excursions | |
| All of the shore excursions were superb. The tours gave a thorough insight into the areas that we visited. Well worth the money. | | Staff | |
| Cabin Stewards worked tirelessly during the whole day. My steward was so unbelievably polite, courteous and efficient. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities |  |
| With the destinations, and the dining experience in the evenings, I didn't really have time to sample much that was on offer on board. | | Cabins | |
| My cabin (Caronia) was superb. It was very spacious, with a huge wardrobe and the bathroom was excellent. | | Overall Rating | |
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